Tuesday, January 17, 2012

(from MZone wire reports) TUSCALOOSA, AL -- The MZone has learned that newly hired Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeir is being asked to sit out the 2012 season and join the Crimson Tide staff next year because Nick Saban has signed too many football coaches. Nussmeir, who had been the offensive coordinator at Washington, found out only after he and his family arrived in Tuscaloosa on Monday afternoon.

"Coach Saban said he wished he would’ve been able to tell me before I quit my old job, sold my house, moved all the way across the country with my family and had six other coaching offers I turned down instead of telling me now," said Nussmeir as he stood next to his crying wife and kids on the front lawn of the new Tuscaloosa house that they can no longer afford. "He (Saban) said the only reason he can’t have me join his staff for this season is because he can’t have too many offensive coordinators. He can only have one. And he hired three. But he said he was going to bring me in for the 2013 season. And I know it's true because he said he would pinky swear that he would keep his word about that – which has to really, really mean something. I mean, it's not like he offered to just sign some random piece of paper."

So what happened to Nussmeir's new job between the time he agreed to it on Friday and the time the offer was pulled on Monday? According to MZone sources, after Nussmeir accepted Saban's offer, the Tide head coach then made an offer to Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Saturday and Stanford OC Pep Hamilton on Sunday. When both said yes, it left Nussmeir as the odd man out since Washington's offense wasn't as highly ranked as Oklahoma State's or Stanford's. No word yet on whether Monken or Hamilton will be next to get &^%$ by Saban on this one.

When the MZone asked Nussmeir what he was going to do this fall since all the prime OC jobs are already filled at this point, Nussmeir said he was going to stay in Alabama. "Coach Saban said he'd help me get a job at the Piggly Wiggly during the time I'm not on his staff. What an awesome, caring man, huh?"

While, Nussmeir seemed understanding about having his job yanked away at the 11th hour, other assistant coaches weren't so forgiving of Saban.

"It's deplorable," said new Florida OC Brent Pease. "A person agrees to something, doesn't look elsewhere because he thinks he's set, then is told at the last minute, 'Sorry, you're on your own'? And that's supposed to be okay? I can't believe there's not a national outcry about this. But, as usual, the ESPN's and Gary Danielson's of the world aren't saying shit. They only care about the players. Typical."

Last summer, the SEC instituted limits on the number of assistant coaches a team can have. But Saban, notorious for having extra coaches to his staff at Alabama, was unfazed at the time. "It's not going to be that much of a management issue for us to be able to continue to create the same number of opportunities for young coaches and just try to manage it a little better."

Alabama coach Nick Oversaban reveals how many
coaches he's over the limit for the 2012 season

12 comments:

Good satirical stuff, which is why I come here. Of course, if one really wanted a laugh, one could just read the NCAA's own bylaws ...which they choose to ignore;

Just one piece of advice, keep in mind the Penn State, tOSU, Miami, Alabama, et al. scandals when you read the following bylaws of the NCAA;

2.2 THE PRINCIPLE OF STUDENT-ATHLETE WELL-BEING [*]Intercollegiate athletics programs shall be conducted in a manner designed to protect and enhance the physical and educational well-being of student-athletes.

2.2.4 Student-Athlete/Coach Relationship. [*] It is the responsibility of each member institution to establish and maintain an environment that fosters a positive relationship between the student-athlete and coach.

2.2.5 Fairness, Openness and Honesty. [*] It is the responsibility of each member institution to ensure that coaches and administrators exhibit fairness, openness and honesty in their relationships with student-athletes.

2.4 THE PRINCIPLE OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETHICAL CONDUCT [*]For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with theseathletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty andresponsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrumof activities affecting the athletics program.

p.s. Chapter 10 on Ethical Conduct is the most unintentionally hilarious.

Bama fan here. While cleverly written, unfortunately you're quite a ways off base getting pissed about Saban and the oversigning issue. All of his potential commits are aware of stipulations about an offer, if there are any. Usually there are not, which is why he tells his recruiters that they must stand by any commit offered. For example, most recently a RB from Georgia had been a commit for several months, and was informed he'd have to delay his enrollment. This is because he blew his knee out and is not and will not be ready to contribute with the other early enrollees. Saban met with the kid and said that he, Saban, wanted to sign a formal agreement guaranteeing his spot in the delayed enrollment period, when he can physically contribute to the team on the field. He, the athlete, and his father have publicly praised Alabama and have made it clear that they have always been treated fairly and honestly, and the kid a few days ago said again that an article saying he decommitted and is upset is false and malicious. I can tell you that as a Bama fan, these articles are quite common, and usually have their origins in Auburn, AL. While he is weighing his options to go elsewhere as he doesn't want to miss another entire year of football, Bama is the only D1 school to stick by him through his recruitment, and he says that is where his heart is and where he expects to be. While I understand a rival fan's disdain for Saban because of his prickly media personality at times, he's never been accused of misleading or lying to recruits, and no player to my knowledge has implied any form of mistreatment with regard to scholly offers or attrition. Simply put - don't believe everything you read. While there is an argument against Bama in the oversigning debate, it rests solely in the attrition department, and your beef lies with Bama's Sports Medicine program, which is world-class, but very stringent. That, however, is another discussion. My point is that coaches like Houston Nutt and Les Miles are they real culprits in the SEC oversigning discussion, not coaches like Saban. However, because we are currently on top, articles about our numbers make for better headlines and get more website hits, but I can assure you that Bama is playing within the rules with regard to this issue. Note: My roommate is a recent Michigan grad, so I'm well aware of the Big10 point of view. This issue is a problem in CFB and needs to be addressed, but if you think Saban is the poster boy for unnethical roster management, you undoubtedly have you facts incorrect and are miffed at the wrong people. Note: Saban never discusses other teams with recruits and their families, but Urban Meyer is a dirty, dirty recruiter, and will paint your roster in the most negative of lights to suit his recruiting desires, so have fun with that one. Roll Tide, and take care all.

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